A rotating shaft member needs to be supported not only in the rotational direction of the shaft member but also in the axial direction thereof. As a bearing member that supports the shaft member in the axial direction, a thrust washer, such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-070662 (“JP '662”), is known. The thrust washer supports the axial load of the rotating shaft member. The thrust washer disclosed in JP '662 has a resin coating layer on the slide surface in contact with the shaft member. In JP '662, the resin coating layer has a central portion raised higher than both radial ends of the thrust washer in a cross section taken along the radial direction, that is, a cross section extending in the direction from the inner circumferential side toward the outer circumferential side. The thus shaped resin coating layer having the varying macroscopic thickness allows reduction in local contact between the shaft member and the thrust washer and damage resulting from the contact.
Internal combustion engine or the like including a bearing member and a shaft member, that is, a sliding member and a counterpart member require higher performance and more advanced functions these days. These requirements cause tendencies such as reduced rigidity of the shaft member caused by reduced weight of the shaft member, increased contact pressure exerted between the shaft member and the bearing member, etc. In particular, an internal combustion engine repeats stopping and starting the operation thereof in order to reduce fuel consumption in recent years. Therefore, the chances of the shaft member and the bearing member coming into contact with each other via insufficiently thick oil film increase, and thus, frictional resistance tends to increase. As a result, it is further required to reduce the friction between the shaft member and the bearing member.